


Irish Whiskey

by bangtangirl91



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Eventual Romance, F/M, Interracial Relationship, Office, Psychic Abilities, Romance, Supernatural Elements, Telekinesis, Telepathy, Thriller
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-23 20:00:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20207782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bangtangirl91/pseuds/bangtangirl91
Summary: Isaac has known he is different from most people for almost all of his life. At eight years old he realized could hear the thoughts and see the memories of those around him. He learned the hard way that gifts like his, if they were to be found out, were like a target on your back. In this world psychics are seen only as a threat and a danger to those around them. He was content to live out his life in the most mundane of ways... until he met Jamie Mercer.





	1. PROLOGUE

**PROLOGUE**

It started with a coffee mug.

If not for that ceramic godsend, with the 'I hate Mondays' catchphrase emblazoned on the front, remaining intact against all odds my life would have kept on going in the same boring and drab direction it always had. But because of it, or rather because of her, the path of my life was forever altered- and on my birthday no less! That detail might have just been a coincidence but I prefer to believe it was fate.

It's actually a pretty complicated story that starts way before my 25th birthday because there's some crucial information that needs relaying before I get into this, and that is Psychics. Not just a hoax of the late night infomercial variety but a real legitimate sect of humanity that were slowly emerging year after year.

Now I say slowly because making your abilities known was something that very few wanted to do. Letting the non-psychic population in on the fact that you could predict the future, or communicate with ghosts, or read minds, or astral project, or even move objects with only your mind, was opening yourself up to the possibility of a modern-day witch hunt. Just having an ability meant detainment on the grounds of being a danger to society. So very few people were 'out' about their gifts, if you catch my drift. Unless they were wealthy and powerful of course.

But back to the coffee mug. So it was my birthday and my office was throwing me a little lunchtime party in the breakroom. I suffered through it as a I always do, and always will when theres the promise of cake and an extended lunch break. Everyone was invited (read:forced) to come and partake. Including the new girl who had been with us for nearly two weeks but hadn't really talked to anyone. Her name was Jamie, and she was gorgeous. She was the type of beautiful that had me convinced she was a model that saw some bad shit and had to be put into Witness Protection. What other reason would she have for being in this podunk town and not on the cover of a magazine?

She was clearly joining in and singing happy birthday to me reluctantly. Which was fine by me, I mean I was also being sung to reluctantly. As I gave the obligatory laugh to my friend Dave singing the second verse of the Birthday Song in the highest pitch he could manage I noticed out of the corner of my eye Jamie, who was standing alone leaning casually against the kitchen counter, accidentally knocking that Garfield mug off the countertop with her elbow. I waited for the inevitable crash of it hitting the floor and smashing into a dozen pieces. Followed by Marnie realizing it was hers and freaking out because it was her favorite.

The crash never came.

What I did see was the cup getting within an inch of the linoleum floor before flying up into Jamie's hands as fast as it had fallen, and her nonchalantly placing it back on the counter a foot further away from her. No one else noticed this display of psychic ability. And she didn't notice me noticing her.

You know I didn't think anything would happen on my birthday that would be more interesting than free cake.

Never had I been so happy to be wrong.


	2. Lost in a haze

"Oh oh oh! Go totally crazy! Forget I'm a lady!"

I inwardly cringed as the crowd and unfortunately tone deaf woman on stage belted out Shania Twain's classic. Somehow the horrible karaoke singing was making my shitty cheap beer taste even shittier.

It was a typical Friday night and I had once again let Dave rope me into coming out to Tommy's for karaoke night. I'm all for a good night out and I honestly prefer bars to any venue, but if I wanted to listen to bad renditions of iconic songs I'd just record myself in the shower. I usually would only let Dave drag me here if I owed him a favor or something but he got me this time. He'd told me Jamie Mercer was coming and I was sold.

Jamie is new in town; only been in Canaryville a few weeks. She took up a long vacant IT position in our small insurance brokerage firm and needless to say she caught my attention by being mysterious as fuck and indifferent to everyone around her. It shouldn't be a turn on that she just ignores me but what can I say? I'm a bit of a masochist.

Dave caught wind of my infatuation because I haven't been subtle about my interest.

Like at all.

I'm pretty sure I spent the majority of today trying to catch glimpses of her rather than doing any work on my accounts. I paid for that in having to be here, where I was promised more Jamie and she had yet to show. At this point I'm not sure I even believed he got her to agree to come out for a drink. As far as I knew she still hadn't been friendly with anyone in the office.

I glanced at the entrance for the 10th time in as many minutes. Nothing. I took a swig of my rapidly warming beer.

I was jostled by a pale arm falling across my shoulder.

"Would you stop checking for the new girl, Ike!" Dave slurred ever so slightly. It was only 9pm but that didn't stop Dave from downing at least 5 beers since we got here an hour ago. "You gotta be more chill man."

"I am chill."

Lie. I was not chill. But I also wasn't gonna just let him call me out on it.

"No you're thirsty, and it's embarrassing." He winced.

"Fuck you, dude." I laughed.

"I'm serious, man! Here I am in serious need of a wing-man and you're over here fixated on some girl who's so far out of your league y'all are playing different sports, instead of helping me get some ass." Okay, ouch. "You see that redhead over there?"

He gestured at a curly haired girl in short shorts and a Led Zeppelin tee who glanced over at us briefly. I nodded, taking another swig of beer.

"She's trying to fuck me." I coughed. That was clearly the wrong time to take a sip. "And her friend has been giving you the eye since we got here."

I didn't need to look back, I'd seen the blonde in the sundress next to her.

"Not interested." I responded still trying to clear my airway of Coors Light.

"Oh come on! You could totally get her man. She's like a 6 and you're an 8. You don't even have to put in any effort."

"Did you just rate my appearance? Are you like, coming onto me?" I joked.

"Yes and no. Nice try but you can't shame me Mike-and-Ike." he did a strange but normal for him come at me bro gesture, "You're an attractive guy and if I had to pick a dude..." He trailed off.

"I'm so uncomfortable right now. " I deadpanned and after a beat added, "You think you're the best I could do?"

"Ha ha." He mocked. "Come on Ike, be a bro and come chat up these ladies with me."

He started to nudged me repeatedly in what I'm sure he thought was a convincing way. I was about three seconds from just giving in.

"Sorry I'm late, I couldn't find my car keys." A raspy voice spoke from in front of us.

My head whipped around so fast I heard the bones crack.

"Jamie! You made it!" Dave went to hug her I presume but she denied the attempt by lifting her hand for a high-five instead. A woman of taste.

"Yup. I said I would be." She nodded with a tight smile.

"And you're clearly a woman of your word. Can I get you anything to drink?" He offered as she took a seat across from us at the high bar table.

"Lagavulin, neat. Thanks." Dave raised his eyebrows in surprise but scurried off to fulfill her request.

With him went my composure.

A minute ago I was dodging my friend's assholery and then suddenly I was left alone with Jamie Mercer. She stood there being her aloof, criminally attractive self. And I sat there with warm beer in my hand at a loss for words. I am almost never at a loss for words. But here I am just staring back at her and saying nothing. Like a creep.

Now she's giving me a weird stare back and I am starting to freak out. Is there something on my face? Or my shirt? Does this beanie look as ridiculous as it feels?

Say something, you idiot. Anything.

"I'm Isaac. We work together." I shouted slightly over the drone of someone singing Smells Like Teen Spirit.

"I know." She replied simply with a polite smile. She didn't offer her name in return. Of course I already knew her name and she knows that. She said nothing else so we waited for Dave's return in silence.

Now before I reveal what I did next let me just put it on the record that I try not to do this often. I know it's a violation of privacy and breach of boundaries and blah blah blah, but the suspense was killing me. I could tell that I was making a horrible impression and I needed some direction.

So I maybe reached out and read her thoughts a little.

'It's bad enough he stares at me all the time at work. Now he's gotta do it here too?'

Fuck. Ok so Dave wasn't the only one to notice. She knew I was low-key obsessing over her. That's not so bad, I can come back from this.

'Dave better not be trying to set me up with this guy. I'm getting serious stalker vibes.'

Maybe there's no coming back from that.

'Just drink your drink Jamie and get the hell out of here. You kept your promise so that fucker Dave should leave you alone Monday. No need to socialize any more than necessary.'

She's going to leave soon. I need to turn this around.

"Sorry if I've been weirding you out at work."

"Excuse me?"

"I have this tendency to stare blankly a lot without realizing. So if I've been directing that towards you... my apologies. I promise I'm normal." I laughed lightly trying to joke it off.

"I'll bet." She smirked. I laughed at that though I'm not sure if she meant to joke around with me.

"So what brings you to Canaryville? Wait let me guess- you witnessed a mob hit and now you're in hiding?"

"Why would that be your first guess?" Her puzzled expression was adorable.

"Well we don't get a lot of people like you around here." I explained. Poorly I might add.

"People like me? What's that supposed to mean?" She raised one perfectly manicured eyebrow dangerously.

"That came out wrong!" I rushed out. How is it possible I'm screwing this up even more? "What I meant was that 95% of the people in Canaryville are born and bred locals. We don't get a lot of gorgeous strangers who just decide to up and move here."

"Gorgeous?" She smirked again mockingly both eyebrows raise now.

"Y-yeah?" I stuttered out. It came off as incredibly lame so I cleared my throat and added, "I mean yes. You are. Objectively very beautiful."

"Uh huh."

She didn't attempt to keep the conversation going. I however was desperate to keep up the momentum.

"So am I close? Is that your story? You don't have to tell me if that'll blow your cover, just blink once for yes. Twice for no."

She chuckled lightly, "I don't have a story. I thought the town was cute so I thought why not?"

"There's nothing cute about this town."

"You're here." She shrugged, and I blushed like a goddamn middle schooler. I was not expecting that. I was once again without a retort and now also trying to hide a pleased grin. She laughed again. "Now you see Isaac? That's how you flirt. What you were doing earlier was just not it."

I was still reeling from the compliment, ignoring the jab a my flirtation skills, when Dave finally returned with her drink.

"You two seem to be getting along famously." He handed her the lowball glass re-taking his seat beside me. "What did I miss?"

"Just me making an ass of myself, apparently." I chuckled.

"So nothing new then." He said to Jamie. "Cool. If you guys are alright over here I'm gonna go shoot my shot with Barbara."

"Who?" We asked in unison

"The redhead." He thumbed over his shoulder in the direction of the DJ booth, already backing away.

"Good luck." I called after him.

"Don't need it." He replied never breaking stride.

I drew my gaze back to Jamie to find her throwing back her scotch in a hurry. As she set the glass on the table she licked her lips slowly, effectively distracting me from her words.

"Sorry, what was that?" I asked dumbly.

"I said this has been fun but I should get going." Without waiting for a reply she got up and headed for the exit.

I quickly glanced at Dave and his soon to be conquest. Deciding that he was suitably occupied I got up and ran after Jamie.

I knew this probably wasn't the best thing to do to put her stalker fears to rest, but honestly I really wasn't thinking things through. For some reason I just knew that if I didn't go after her now, she'd never talk to me again.

In hindsight I should've thought it through.


End file.
